Ayatollah Khamenei: Everyone Should Appreciate an Independent and Brave Judiciary

The leader of the Islamic Republic stated that he would not comment on the conflict between the heads of the executive and judicial branches, while emphasizing that "the existence of an independent and brave judiciary should be appreciated by all." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also accused American officials of planning to "impose restrictions" in the post-Vienna nuclear agreement era, adding that "they think the JCPOA will last 10-12 years." According to IRNA news agency, he said in a speech on Sunday, January 8, that "the enemy seeks to eliminate the factors of national authority and attacks the institutions that symbolize the country's power." The leader of the Islamic Republic described the "attack on the IRGC, Basij, and Guardian Council" as "part of the enemy's design to weaken the institutions and entities that symbolize the country's authority." He added: "I have no interest in the recent quarrels between the heads of the branches; it is not an important issue; these will be resolved by divine power, although the enemy seeks to exaggerate them." Khamenei emphasized that he has always supported governments, parliaments, and the judiciary, but added that "we must see what the enemy seeks and thwart its goals." He identified the "most important goal of the country" as having a "strong security apparatus," a "powerful and popular military," the Basij, a "clergy aware of the times and present on the scene," a "complete and powerful judiciary," and a "precise and brave planning government." Khamenei stressed: "By securing these goals, the movement of the Iranian nation will succeed, and each of these elements that are absent must be secured, and the existing elements must be preserved." The verbal conflict between the judicial and executive officials, which initially began with allegations regarding the Babak Zanjani case, has intensified in recent days, with both sides implicitly accusing each other of financial corruption. Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judiciary, on Tuesday, January 2, accused Babak Zanjani of assisting Hassan Rouhani's campaign in the 2013 elections and claimed that the Foreign Ministry, Central Bank, and Ministry of Oil had not taken necessary actions to recover Zanjani's assets abroad. These remarks were a response to statements made by Hassan Rouhani on January 1, where he said he had requested the judiciary to hand over the Babak Zanjani case to the Ministry of Intelligence, but this request had not been executed. He also noted that the public's questions about this case remain unanswered. Following Larijani's remarks, Rouhani's Twitter account called for transparency regarding the judiciary's accounts, while Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson and first deputy of the judiciary, demanded the announcement of the expenses of Rouhani's campaign in 2013. Khamenei's statements on Sunday come after he criticized Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ali Larijani, the heads of the executive and legislative branches, respectively, on Saturday, January 17, 2013, in response to the controversies surrounding the impeachment session of the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, stating that he would "advise" them for now. The leader of the Islamic Republic also accused Britain on Sunday of planning to "train and arm local individuals in Iran" and of seeking the "disintegration" of regional countries, including Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen, as well as "training and arming local individuals in the region, including Iran." He added: "They do not mention Iran because they fear Iranian public opinion; like Mohammad Reza who said after me, Iran will become Iranistan; this is what they want too." Khamenei referred to Britain as an "aged, ineffective colonial power" and asked, "Is this not an enemy? Can a more malicious enemy be found?" He stated: "The British, in their own estimation, are planning restrictions and sanctions for the post-JCPOA era and are also training and arming local individuals in the region, including Iran, so that these individuals will turn against the Islamic system and the nation." Previously, Iranian officials have accused the U.S. and Britain of attempting to disintegrate regional countries. For instance, Yahya Rahim Safavi, a military advisor to the leader, had mentioned the possibility of the "disintegration" of some regional countries, including Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen, as well as Saudi Arabia "in the long term." He considered the goal of the "disintegration" of these countries to be the "complete domination of the U.S. over smaller political units." On Saturday, December 18, Khamenei stated in a speech that he believes "Britain has been a source of evil and misery for nations in our region for two centuries" and remarked that "at that time, that shameless British official says Iran is a threat to the region." Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, on Wednesday, December 7, told the Gulf Cooperation Council that Britain would help these countries stand against "Iran's aggressive actions in the region." On Saturday, December 20, Nicholas Hopton, the British ambassador to Tehran, was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, and Iran's government expressed its "strong protest" regarding the Prime Minister's remarks at the Gulf Cooperation Council meeting. Previously, Ayatollah Khamenei had attributed the protests against the results of the presidential election in 2009 to some internal factors and foreign elements, specifically mentioning the British government as the "evil British government." In response to Khamenei's remarks, Britain immediately summoned Rasoul Moheydian, the Iranian ambassador to that country. Khamenei referred to John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, as the "smiling enemy" and added that his behavior is no different from that of George Bush, the former U.S. President, who labeled Iran as the "axis of evil." He added: "The pleasant Secretary of State advises the next government in his farewell letter to be as tough as possible on Iran and to maintain sanctions; one can gain concessions from Iran through toughness." Khamenei stated: "They are already sitting down and thinking about what restrictions to impose for the post-JCPOA era. They think the JCPOA will last 10-12 years." Despite endorsing the Vienna nuclear agreement, the leader has repeatedly criticized it. His close associates have also attacked Hassan Rouhani's government in recent weeks following the extension of the Iran sanctions law in the U.S. Congress, demanding an apology from the government regarding the Vienna nuclear agreement.